Sharon L. King is a long-time LCBH donor and former board president. Sharon was instrumental in establishing the Brach-Brodie Endowment which provides funding for LCBH to host legal fellows and recent law school graduates to gain experience in a legal aid setting. Sharon recently made the lead gift to establish the LCBH Endowment for Major Gifts. If you would like to make a gift to LCBH from your Donor Advised Fund or IRA, please contact Allen Hailey, Development and Communications Director, at (312) 784-3505.
How did you first become involved with LCBH?
I heard about the Attorney of the Day program. I thought it sounded interesting. I don’t think Sidley Austin had anyone involved. I was the first Sidley attorney to get involved and to involve others.
What kept you coming back to volunteer?
It was a way to get involved with something and really find out about it. It was hands-on. At that point, LCBH was small, and I became more involved with the organization, eventually becoming board president.
Are there any moments or experiences with LCBH that are meaningful to you?
We came to a point where there was discussion about whether we should have a social worker on staff. That was a big discussion, “we’re lawyers, we don’t need to do that.” But we made the decision to do it, and I think it was successful. It was an important part of LCBH’s whole approach to helping people.
One of the other important developments that came later is that tenants now have counsel available at the courthouse if they need representation in eviction court. I remember my experiences volunteering in eviction court and if you did not have a lawyer, even one that didn’t know anything about eviction court, the tenants didn’t have a chance.
What led you to decide to include LCBH in your estate plans?
It is because of my long-time involvement with LCBH and because of how much I appreciate what LCBH has become and what’s it able to do in the community. Because of that I want to continue to be a part of it.
Is there a particular part of LCBH’s mission that you hope your gift will benefit?
I left it open enough so that the funds may be used where the need is greatest. I come at it from the lawyer’s standpoint; I would like keep it unrestricted so that the agency can use it as needs occur.
How does your gift reflect what you care about most and the impact you want to have in the future?
What I hope is that LCBH can continue to do what it does without being beholden to government agencies and outside forces involving government. You need to be able to run your organization without government interference. The way to do that is to be financially successful.
What would you tell someone who is thinking of making a gift to the endowment?
It is being set up in a way that we are going to have expert advice on the handling of the funds and to grow the fund, to be able to use it as a foundation for the future growth of LCBH’s contributions to the community.
What inspired your legacy gift?
I’ve been thinking about this and one of the changes in the law that permits taking IRA required minimum distributions and converting them into charitable contributions without paying taxes is a real opportunity for others, especially those who are 72 and older. You can take advantage of a provision of the tax law that is helpful, and you are not taking it out of the grocery money. You haven’t been using it anyway! It is a relatively painless way of making a significant contribution.